Japan is all about culture with a capital C. Half the fun of a ski holiday here are the amazing experiences to be had sampling this incredible culture. The other half is shredding powder all day and night until you can't take any more. Niseko Hirafu is one of Japan's top alpine resorts. Niseko is in fact a town in its own right and there are 3 main Niseko ski areas nearby: Hirafu, Higashiyama and Annapuri.
There are legendary backcountry powder runs and lots of great tree runs. Powder hunters invariably flock to the northern island of Hokkaido in search of spectacular deep powder, off-piste runs and challenging terrain. Hokkaido is the coldest and most northern Japanese island and arguably gets the best snow. Ski resorts in Hokkaido tend to be more relaxed than in other parts of Japan and it’s this kind of atmosphere that brings people back again and again. Niseko is famous for it's deep and fluffy powder snow. The resort area starts from an altitude close to sea-level and rises to 1200m, offering over 1000m in elevation. Niseko is made up of 57 runs consisting of 38 lifts and gondolas and totaling over 47 km in groomed slopes. Lift facilities are great and operate without rest for over 12 hours a day - starting at 8:30am and closing at 9:00pm. Niseko offers seven different on-mountain restaurants to eat or rest in.
Las Lenas, Argentina
> August 23-30, 2008
> August 30 - Sept. 6, 2008
Niseko, Japan
> January 10-17, 2009
Gulmarg, India
> February 14-21, 2009
Alagna, Italy
> February 14-21, 2009
Courmayeur, Italy
> February 28-March 7, 2009
La Grave, France
> March 14-21, 2009
